The Stone Wolf's Rejected Mate

Five Packs #4.5

by Cate C. Wells

I wanted him more than anything, but he wasn’t meant for me.

Life in North Border is hard, but I don’t mind as long as I can steal a few moments alone with Clay Pulley at the end of the work day.

He’s not my mate. If he were, our kisses would have triggered my heat by now.

I know this can’t last, but it’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever had. I’m holding on tight to every single second.

But then we’re caught together, and he declares in front of everyone that I don’t belong to him.

I’m destroyed.

As for him?

Well, turns out—he’s wrong.

And he’s in for the fight of his life.

The Stone Wolf’s Rejected Mate is a companion novella set in the Five Packs world. It can be read as a standalone. No cheating. HEA guaranteed. Intended for adult readers only.

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Shapeshifters, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Novella, Werewolves

156 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 8, 2023

About the author

CATE C. WELLS writes gut-wrenching paranormal and contemporary romance. Whatever the world, readers can expect character-driven stories that are raw, real, and emotionally satisfying. Cate's into messy love, flaws, long roads to redemption, grace, and happy ever after, in fiction and in life.

As well as books, Cate has collected a husband, two daughters, and a cat along the way. She lives in Baltimore when she’s not out exploring with the family.

Want a heads up on new releases and bonus content? Sign up for Cate's newsletter at catecwells.com

Facebook: @catecwells
IG: @authorcatecwells
TT: @authorcatecwells
Threads: @authorcatecwells
Bookbub: @catecwells

Reviews

[Rain · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is so good but holy hell it’s hard to read at times. What does it feel like there are so many horrific wolf packs and only one good one? Why are all of these men/shifters so awful to females?

Wolf shifters
Brutal fighting
Awful pack mentality
Sweet hero
Virgin fmc
Hard fought for love

I’m never leaving her. When I’m old, I’ll rock by her kitchen fire and bother her. When I’m dead, I’ll be her shadow.

It’s too bad this couple spent the majority of the book apart and pining for the other. No knotting, no real claiming, quick, sad sex during captivity.

It was nice to see Una and Killian again.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 2 out of 5]

⤅ The gulf in this series between premise and execution continues to disappoint, alas.

I AM a Cate C Wells fan, I promise. She's actually one of my auto-read authors, and there aren't many on that list. Unfortunately, her writing is so inconsistent - the good books are great, and the bad books range from simply meh to actively offputting.

This one falls somewhere in between, but a bit more on the offputting side. Our heroine Wrenlee is head-over-heels for Clay, a packmate whose stellar fighting skills are helping him rise swiftly through the ranks. They share a few kisses, but the mating bond hasn't ignited, so they figure they aren't meant to be. When he's confronted with the question about whether Wrenlee is his mate, Clay says no (true, from what they both believe) and tells her to get lost in front of the other males (basically to save her reputation). She dissolves into a mass of tears, they don't speak to each other for months, and then suddenly they're mates.

For an already short book, almost no time at all is devoted to relationship development, and instead it's 90% external plot drama. This makes an already weak romance even weaker. Wrenlee comes off as moronic for being so upset at Clay telling the truth (even though he wasn't gentle about it) and Clay is just the standard cookie-cutter silent, dark, bland hero who stays away from her for THREE MONTHS, never chased her, and never shows any depth. The 'rejection' is overblown by Wrenlee into some massive catastrophe and then she's over it in five seconds. Just, what a mess. Seeing Kennedy and Tye (whose book I'm desperate for) was the only good part.

The thing is, Wells could have an excellent series of books here if she just wasn't so afraid to make her heroes ACTUALLY bad people, materialistic/selfish/arrogant men who genuinely believe the heroine isn't pretty or high-status enough for them, so they reject them. That would pack a real emotional punch. The closest we come to this is in the first book, and it's no coincidence that that's by far the best of an otherwise disappointing series. In the other books, the heroes are ALL good people with frankly boring reasons for 'rejecting' the heroines. Sure, it's more effort to write actually bad heroes and then have to redeem them, but it would be infinitely more rewarding. Instead we're left with a slew of 1-to-3-star reads.

[Olivia (ebooklivv) · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is crack in these books - CRACK

[MissClo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was soooo good but what about Amir! 🥹

[Cécile Smits · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having this one for free on Apple Books seemed like a good opportunity to check this author out.
And i’m glad i did,the story was good,the world was well-built, and the characters loveable.

Wren and Clay may have had everything working against them,but that didn’t mean they gave up.
While Clay initially thought Wrenlee wasn’t his mate,it still hurt him to say it out loud.
It hurt even more after,knowing what it meant for her….
Knowing Clay rejected her,hearing him say those cruel things,it hurt Wrenlee badly.
The treatment she got not only from the pack,but her own father as well,hurt even more.
She was thankful for the witch giving her a task only she could do,because it helped her pick up the pieces and go on.
Clay,meanwhile was “promoted” to become a Claw,to fight for the pack.
Until he was strong enough to fight the champion,Killian….who’d never been defeated.
And then the unthinkable happened….Clay and Wrenlee wére mates after all!!
But did that mean they could be together now?
That all the bad stuff was behind them??
Sadly,the answer to that was no.
And the road to their happy after was filled with many obstacles…..

A good shifter story,one that i enjoyed enough to think about others in the series….

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best one yet!! I hope the author has alot more to come!! 💕

[Ainhoa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Am I starting this series in the wrong order? In my defense I will say the titles were pretty much the same and once I started and realised my error, the crack se puts in her books and make people addicted, were already kicking in.

Now I just will have to continue with Killian’s story like a good pup.

By the way, that guy in the cover? Yikes. That’s not Clay at all.

[Barbarzynka · Rating 3 out of 5]

bez komentarza ale...... co ja teraz zrobię ze swoim życiem?!?!?!

[Melanie A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 STARS!

In my entire life, I have never felt taller or prouder or luckier. Or more aware of what I am capable of doing to anyone who threatens the tiny female in my arms.

This was a condensed version of a CCW story - and, still, I loved every word.

She drives her nails into my scalp, as if she's afraid I'll try to get away. I'm never leaving her. When I'm old, I'll rock by her kitchen fire and bother her. When I'm dead, I'll be her shadow.

Our writer/reader relationship is like 🤞. No one does heartbreak and then romance like it.

[sil ♡ the book voyagers · Rating 4 out of 5]

˙✧˖°🐺 ༘ ⋆｡˚ Who doesn't love a good shifter romance with rejected mates trope, right? ˙✧˖°🐺 ༘ ⋆｡˚

I think the rejected mates tropes is for me yall. This is my second The Five Packs book, the first one being the first in this series, and yeah I think I want to read them all now. I'm going to make some time to do it I PROMISE YOU THIS. I just want more groveling and big shifters being wrong and trying to fix it and the heroines just making them work for it you know? OBSESSED.

This one is a short novella but it still packed a punchhhhh. I WAS CRYING. CRYING SO HARD. I didn't think these two would make me feel so much or as much as they did. But the way the story went and their development, oh at one point I started thinking "how are they going to get themselves out of this." It was such a good novella and I can't wait to read more about this world.

[Margo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series is getting too real for me. I’m tired of the poverty, political machinations, and the numerous physical and/or social challenges some of the h’s are faced with. I don’t feel like enough progress is being made to reform the world that these characters live in.

Also, this book really lets you down on the rejection front. It’s more of a misunderstanding than any sort of formal rejection. I need a formal rejection and all of the suffering and all of the groveling, and I did not get it.

[Mairi Swan · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason I was picturing the story to unfold in some medieval time but then cars and phones where you watch videos and I was like are they Amish? It was really confusing. Or I am confused

[Rachael*Caribbean*girl*bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoilers ahead 3.5*



All the awwwwwwwws

The packs in this series are horrible and I hope at the end all these horrific alphas are brought to their knees

We have Clay and Wrenlee who are amongst the lowest ranks of their pack. They work together and like each other but even though they've kissed there's no indication they're mates. When they're discovered Clay says she's not his mate but when her life in danger it's proven that she is in face his mate. Now Clay must work to get her to accept him and then protect her from the Alphas in their pack. With their lives on the line Clay has to risk it all to save his mate and Wrenlee has to dig deeper than ever before to find her courage.

******
This was such a cute read, They love they had for each other....the things they had to go through 😭 but they prevail in the end


No cheating
Non virgin H 😒😑
Virgin h
Violence

[Grisette · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I was surprised and grateful when I found out that CCW had released this novella. And I was saving the pleasure to read it at the most opportune moment. CCW does not deceive as usual. Her writing flowed beautifully as she spun yet another meaningful instalment in this series. The romance between Wrenlee and Clay was very pure and cute, even as they went through very harsh moments. A worthy addition to the series!

What I particularly liked is the deepening of the lore of Five Packs. North Border pack proved to be as shitty and backwards as the other packs, so much that Quarry Pack seemed utterly modern and progressive in comparison. The cameo appearances from Una, Killian and their pack were very welcome and they all fit to thicken the overarching plot that will set the future direction of the series. And as always, whenever Abertha appears, there is delight and thrill. There is certainly a big climatic clash brewing in the future and I can't wait!

[Jody Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the one hand it's great to read one of these books where the couple just super wants to be together and is clear about it. On the other, I think we have a new contender for Worst Possible Pack to live in. WOW does life there suck. It's interesting the different manifestations of Rank and what it affords in each pack.

Clay and Wrenlee get caught together. In this, the most misogynistic and abusive of packs, she's ruined (and punished for it) and immediately used by the Bad Alpha to keep him in line (with the threat of, you know, for her is he doesn't). It's all rough, rough reading. Bad stuff happens. They love each other. It's great to see Killian and Una again. I liked how clear the couple was about their feelings for each other, Wrenlee didn't have to wonder for long why Clay rejected her, because certain threats are repeated, its just how do they get to their HEA. Well, guess who does a little meddling?? Hint, she loves a meddle. That's how.

[Niki {Still a Widow but reading more} · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Reread 9/20/2025 I guess I like this better the second time around. Maybe that's because I am rereading the series before reading the newest book, and so there was no waiting time between this one and the previous. Upped the rating from 3 stars to 4. *

I really loved Clay and Wrenlee. They had this sweet innocent quality that I gobbled up, but...

it really fell down in so many places. There was a decent amount that wasn't thought out and/or written out well. I had such high hopes since I've loved everything else in the series, so I was bummed it didn't quite reach the mark.

Regardless of that it introduced us to some sweet characters that will definitely play a part in the series moving forward. Also, it introduced tensions and issues that will affect the series and what's building between the packs that's coming to a head soon. I still love this series.

[Intel Chicky Reads Romance (Kara Merideth) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic novella ❤

Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trope: fated mates
Angst: 😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥

Super cute, yet emotional, little novella in the Five Packs world by my favorite author! The characters are absolutely wonderful and it was fun to see Una and Killian as well. Tons of little breadcrumbs for what's coming - I can't wait!

[Chloë · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, I liked it more than some of the others in this series, but there's nothing that makes Wrenlee & Clay a standout couple for me.

It's a fairly mild rejection / grovel, I'm going to guess because it's only novella length so there wasn't much time to get into something more detailed. I think if this was a full-length story I might have felt more connected to the couple as well.

Book 1: The Tyrant Alpha's Rejected Mate - ⭐⭐⭐
Book 2: The Heir Apparent's Rejected Mate - ⭐⭐
Book 3: The Lone Wolf's Rejected Mate - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book 4: His Curvy Rejected Mate - ⭐⭐⭐
Book 4.5: The Stone Wolf's Rejected Mate - ⭐⭐⭐

[Dara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief novella that introduces possibly the shittiest pack in the series to date and sets up what I hope is an epic culmination of whatever the heck Abertha's been doing all along. Packs a lot of good character work into a short story that could easily have been expanded into a full novel.

[✦ Rox ☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first shifter romance - it didn’t disappoint (much).

[Lammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️. There was a lot of unrelenting misery in this book 🥺. I liked both mc’s and the ending was good which pulled the rating up from 3 to 3.5. Cate is a good writer and this series has been really good so I’m rounding up to 4.

I can’t wait until these packs get the reckoning they deserve!

[Mary Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love each of the books in this series, including this one. I read it straight through! My favorite part of this one is that Wrenlee knew before "fate" that Clay was hers all along. It was just a bumpy road for them to get everyone else on board. And how exciting to get a Killian and Una cameo!

[Lu Bielefeld · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 ⭐⭐ - Meh!
==============

[Elle ♡ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I👏love👏this👏series👏
I was thinking of doing a re-read and then saw this novella I hadn’t read yet. I’m honestly so confused by all the different packs and what exactly is going on. Maybe it would be more clear if I did my re-read first, but I do feel like this series jumps all over the place and each pack is so different and their relations a little unclear. It’s fine though. Maybe by the end of this series I’ll understand it all lol. I love a rejected mate though so this was a treat. Clay and Wrenlee were really cute together. Yeah, it’s all a bit same-same at this point with the fucked up misogynistic packs, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I love shifters, I love fated mates, I love the rejection trope, I love ‘heats’ and I love that we got to catch up with Killian and Una and a few others from previous books. All in all this was fun and a page turner. Can’t wait for more books in this series 🙏

[Louise H's Book Thoughts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cate C Wells writes books that quickly capture my attention and make me want to jump straight back into the story if I have to put the book down.

Clay and Wrenlee are two amazing characters and I couldn't help loving them both from the off. Clay isn't the usual arrogant alpha that we have met in previous books, he rejects Wrenlee partly due to honour and also to protect her.

I loved that we got to learn more about the five packs, though North Border is so corrupt it made me appreciate some of the other packs a little more. First Pack is my favourite, though you won't have met them yet if you're reading the series in order. There are chances to see some much loved familiar faces too. My favourite is Arbertha, who left the alpha of North Border with a prophetic warning, I'm looking forward to seeing it play out.

This is a wonderful series that I can highly recommend to those who enjoy well written shifter books.

[Irene · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5-2.75

it was fast and slow at the same time, the rejection was ass and i did not care for them tbh, but i loved he was a provider, the threat of SA did bother me *not from the mmc felt it was darker like the age gap one which i don't understand why just those two books of the series has the dark undertones,

they get caught (they have been meeting in secret, but they thought they ere not mates cuz they kissed and nothing happened) so he rejects her, her dad and brothers beat her up chaos pursues idk rejection did make sense to me (it never does but this time i was even more confused)

safety, he just did have to not be v did he, he slept with 2 people he gladly tells us to, v fmc cuz its a weird regressed pack, but no ow/om

[Lin]

This is the book that I liked the least in this series.

Clay and Wrenlee has some flirting going on, but when Wrenlee is threatened, Clay rejects her for protection. Wrenlee’s family is ranked low in the pack, and her father is very abusive. And the fact that she hasn’t shifted yet, makes it even harder.
It’s kind of cute, not so much angst.

[Giorgia Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

It's not working for me anymore.
The first few books in this series were different and angsty, but now it's just become this world of absolutely atrocious customs, disgusting men, horrible parents as well as poor and hard living.
To top it all up the mates also need "educating", and a woman's job is NEVER finished.
Where is the appeal in it anymore, book after book?
I keep reading to find a better story, I like the author's writing but at this point it's just a rinse repeat with slight variations but mostly consistent "issues".

[Victoria (Eve's Alexandria) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cate C Wells continues to lean into misogynistic violence as a plot driver and I continue to hate it. There is still just enough here to keep bringing me back to this world: the hints that Abertha, the grey witch, is playing a long game; the tenderness with which the MMC, Clay, treats his mate; and, let’s be honest, the rocking chair sex. But I’m hanging by a thread, because my ‘romanticisation of toxic masculinity’ alarm is blaring.

[Danny Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

God I love the rejected wolf series 😭. Seriously all the stars. Cate C. Wells has been my go to author this whole year. And this series without a doubt is my favorite shifter series of all time.